5th Grade- A Changing Country- 19th Century - Expansion, Industrial Revolution, Civil War, Reconstruction, Immigration Background This unit is organized in Backward Design with five essential questions. The first and last question are meant to be answered in a simple discussion. The first question is to hook the students’ interest and the last question is to connect the topic of study to their lives. The three middle questions are the big ideas of what the core covers. This cover page is a summary of the unit. If students can answer these essential questions with details through a variety of assessments, they will remember the big ideas long past the end of the unit. The strategies and activities included are meant to teach students historian and literacy skills. Good historians, like good readers, observe, infer, analyze primary sources, ask good questions, use background knowledge, make connections, compare and contrast, summarize, understand cause/effect, and use multiple perspectives in their study of history. One important historian skill is to analyze primary source documents. These are original sources such as letters, diaries, original maps, sound and video clips taken at the time of an event, photographs, etc. Analyzing these documents gives students a chance to use historian skills and learn about life at the time of the document through the original source. For primary source documents and activity sets already compiled with questions, visit Docs Teach. There is also an IPad app called Docs Teach that has ready to use primary sources organized by year and topic. Another great tool for getting started is found at the National Archives Website. Whenever a document is presented, students need time to analyze it and make inferences about it. This can be done through discussion or by completing an document analysis sheet. These can be found at Education Tool Box on the National Archives site (on the right hand side). A general document analysis can be found at 5th History- Primary Sources, called a Document Analysis Disco. The strategies described can be used to teach and assess the students. An assessment might be as simple as writing a paragraph on an exit card, or listing the important people in an event. Through these authentic assessments, students will be better able to discuss history than simply arbitrarily choosing an answer on a multiple choice test.
What causes people to make changes in their lives?
I can effectively engage in a class discussion about change.
Have a class discussion and brainstorm reasons why people want change. Refer to change in a variety of ways, such as: moving to a new place, getting angry enough to cause a war, inventions and making a better life, and treating others differently. All of these changes happened in the 19th century.
What significant events occurred during America’s expansion and what were roles people played?
What major events (geographical, political, and economic) between the north and the south that led up to the Civil War?
What was the impact of the Civil War both immediate and long-term?
What were the major economic forces post-Civil War?
What causes you to make changes in your life?
I can complete an exit card about changes in my life.
Have the students think about what makes them want to make changes. Ask them to make two goals for the future about changes in their lives: one that will happen in the next 5 years and one that will happen in the next 10 years.
Strategies and Assessments in Detail
Essential Question #1
What significant events occurred during America’s expansion and what were roles people played?
Assessment
SS Core
I can statement
Strategies
Materials Needed
Time Needed
Summary/ Assessment
IV.1.b
I can explain the reasons why the United States expanded west.
Using Primary sources / Photo Analysis
Website Lesson Plan on Lewis and Clark Expedition click here
1 week 4 – 5 (45 Min) sessions or more
Go to the Lewis and Clark website to the introduction first. This is a virtual tour of the Lewis and Clark expedition. This is a wonderful site for you the educator, to learn about Thomas Jefferson’s reason for expansion and how Lewis and Clark’s exploration played a part in it. It also a great way to introduce primary sources to your students. I don’t spend a lot of time on pioneers and such in this unit because so much of that is focused on in 4th grade, but the Lewis and Clark exploration is an important part of expansion.
IV.1.c&d
I can explain the impact of the expansion on native inhabitants of the west.
Shell Leveled Texts for Social Studies Expanding and preserving the Union Passages: The Texas Revolution, The Mexican American War, American Indians in the 1800s Shell Leveled Text
2-3 (45 min) sessions
Copy passages for whole class. I do reciprocal questioning activity for this I would do the Texas war passages in one day and the other passage on the Indian Removal on another day. Distribute the passages appropriately to readers at their levels. Have students silently read a paragraph at a time. You will also read the same paragraph (read the high level) I usually let the kids start you must set the ground rules before you start. Tell them they can ask you 3 questions that are found the answers can be found directly from the text in that paragraph. I give tickets, class money or whatever you give for good behavior rewards. Next, you have them read the next paragraph and you get to ask the three questions if they get them right you can give the reward. You can use equity sticks or whatever you want to call on the students. You will be surprised how engaged your students will be. This is a great reading comprehension activity. After you have read the passages you will have them write an opinion paper about their thoughts about westward expansion. How do they feel about how the government treated the Indians, do they think it was okay for the Texans to take the land from Mexico? Do they think it was a good idea for Thomas Jefferson to send Lewis and Clark on an expedition to the west? That will give them 3 body paragraphs then they can have an intro and a conclusion paragraph, which is a 5 paragraph essay. Remember 5th graders will be taking the DWA test this year.
Essential Question #2
What major events (geographical, political, and economic) between the north and the south that contributed up to the Civil War?
Assessment
SS Core
I can statement
Strategies
Materials Needed
Time Needed
Summary/ Assessment
IV.2.b
I can compare the differences between the north and the south that led up to the Civil War.
Provide a Venn diagram graphic organizer or have students crate their own.
1 – 2 (45 min.) class periods
This is an awesome website Civil War for Kids that you can guide then allow students to research. Create a Venn Diagram after researching/exploring website listing similarities and differences between the north and the south.
Civil War Diary lesson plan.This is a fun and creative lesson that allows students to use research skills to create a project that portrays a Civil war diary from the perspective of someone who lived during the Civil War era. It is my favorite lesson from the US History unit. Every year the final projects get better and better. I have inserted all of the materials that you need to do this project in your own classroom. The students are astounded to find out how people, soldiers, nurses, presidents, mothers, children and others who lived during the Civil War era. Here are some pictures of final projects:
IV2.c
I can write a short biography about someone who volunteered to joined to fight in the Civil War
Writing a biography
9x18 white sheet of paper and pencil and crayons/color pencils and video of Kelly Clarkson’s who do you think you are click here $1.99
Start by asking the students if they know who Kelly Clarkson is or you can ask them if they watch American Idol. Her 3 times great grandfather volunteered to serve as a union soldier in the Civil War. He was captured during Sherman’s march through Atlanta and was held in the Confederate prisoner of war camp at Andersonville.
If you show the video, it is captivating and powerful. The students will be in awe. It is a way to tie modern day with history. Once they have seen the video have them fold the piece of paper like a burrito (you will have 6 columns) and use the first column for a table of contents and use the rest of the columns to highlight important events in Isaiah Rose’s life. It will be like a mini biography when they finish. Students will draw a picture at the top and give a description at the bottom of each column. This is a great activity and you can use this paper fold idea for other activities.
Essential Question #3
What was the impact of the Civil War both immediate and long-term?
Assessment
SS Core
I can statement
Strategies
Materials Needed
Time Needed
Summary/ Assessment
IV.3.d
I can understand the impact of the Civil War on slaves in the south.
I use this activity in small groups and I purchased this readers theatre from the following link click here. It is $7.99 I then made copies for each group I put them in group of 6 or you can make each group a character or have each group perform as a group as assign an individual character. I love this activity and so do the kids. It gives them a perspective of what life what like for the slaves in the south after the Civil War. I break it up into 2 class periods 1 for the group to practice and one for them to perform. Make sure you stagger the readers in the groups so you have high, low and medium readers in each group.
Essential Question #4
What were the major economic forces post-Civil war?
Assessment
.
SS Core
I can statement
Strategies
Materials Needed
Time Needed
Summary/ Assessment
IV.4.c
I can describe how immigrants feel about America
Photo Analysis / letter analysis various language arts skills
This is another fun lesson that incorporates photo analysis with letter analysis. You can purchase this workbook Creating Diversity by Evan Moor Grade 3-4 I would buy is use for less than a dollar click here. Use pgs 56 – 61 A Letter To My Family. I know it is below grade level, but it is still grade level appropriate for this activity. Before you begin this activity make sure you review the following vocabulary: Liberty, Immigrant, Democracy, Beacon and Ray. I do the photo analysis first. I show the picture usually on a document camera or through your computer on a projector.
Distribute worksheet Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World. then, go over the questions about the statue of Liberty with the students and have them answer the questions to the best of their ability. Go over the answers with them when they are done distribute the workbook packet “A Letter To My Family” this is a fun letter from an immigrant to his wife talking about his experiences in New York, about his adventures in the new land and about how he is being mistreated. The packet also has analysis questions about the letter, vocabulary questions, and questions about the statue of liberty being a symbol and it asks the students to create their own symbol. Great Lesson.
- Expansion, Industrial Revolution, Civil War, Reconstruction, Immigration
Background
This unit is organized in Backward Design with five essential questions. The first and last question are meant to be answered in a simple discussion. The first question is to hook the students’ interest and the last question is to connect the topic of study to their lives. The three middle questions are the big ideas of what the core covers.
This cover page is a summary of the unit. If students can answer these essential questions with details through a variety of assessments, they will remember the big ideas long past the end of the unit. The strategies and activities included are meant to teach students historian and literacy skills. Good historians, like good readers, observe, infer, analyze primary sources, ask good questions, use background knowledge, make connections, compare and contrast, summarize, understand cause/effect, and use multiple perspectives in their study of history.
One important historian skill is to analyze primary source documents. These are original sources such as letters, diaries, original maps, sound and video clips taken at the time of an event, photographs, etc. Analyzing these documents gives students a chance to use historian skills and learn about life at the time of the document through the original source.
For primary source documents and activity sets already compiled with questions, visit Docs Teach. There is also an IPad app called Docs Teach that has ready to use primary sources organized by year and topic. Another great tool for getting started is found at the National Archives Website. Whenever a document is presented, students need time to analyze it and make inferences about it. This can be done through discussion or by completing an document analysis sheet. These can be found at Education Tool Box on the National Archives site (on the right hand side). A general document analysis can be found at 5th History- Primary Sources, called a Document Analysis Disco.
The strategies described can be used to teach and assess the students. An assessment might be as simple as writing a paragraph on an exit card, or listing the important people in an event. Through these authentic assessments, students will be better able to discuss history than simply arbitrarily choosing an answer on a multiple choice test.
For more resources on this unit, visit JHAT, Jr. Standard 4.
Cover Page- Overview
Strategies and Assessments in Detail
or more
Provide a Venn diagram graphic organizer or have students crate their own.
Civil War Diary Project Fact Sheet and Rough Draft
If you show the video, it is captivating and powerful. The students will be in awe. It is a way to tie modern day with history. Once they have seen the video have them fold the piece of paper like a burrito (you will have 6 columns) and use the first column for a table of contents and use the rest of the columns to highlight important events in Isaiah Rose’s life. It will be like a mini biography when they finish. Students will draw a picture at the top and give a description at the bottom of each column. This is a great activity and you can use this paper fold idea for other activities.
Statute of Liberty of Enlightening the World Photo Analysis Photo: click here
Workseet: Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World
Before you begin this activity make sure you review the following vocabulary: Liberty, Immigrant, Democracy, Beacon and Ray. I do the photo analysis first. I show the picture usually on a document camera or through your computer on a projector.
Distribute worksheet Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World. then, go over the questions about the statue of Liberty with the students and have them answer the questions to the best of their ability. Go over the answers with them when they are done distribute the workbook packet “A Letter To My Family” this is a fun letter from an immigrant to his wife talking about his experiences in New York, about his adventures in the new land and about how he is being mistreated. The packet also has analysis questions about the letter, vocabulary questions, and questions about the statue of liberty being a symbol and it asks the students to create their own symbol. Great Lesson.